ED to interrogate scamster Jadeja
The chief magistrate court, Ahmedabad (rural), granted permission to the department of Enforcement Directorate (ED) to interrogate Ashok Jadeja for the case registered under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
The central agency has filed application seeking permission to interrogate Jadeja on Saturday. As per the application filed by ED, Jadeja is chargesheeted for the offence under section 420 and 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code, which is a scheduled offence under section 2 (y) of the PMLA.
The enforcement agency had also registered a case against Jadeja to further investigate the case. However, the agency in their application stated that for further investigation and to ascertain various facts relating to fraudulent nets, they need to examine Jadeja and record his statement under section 50 of PMLA, 2002.
Hence the team of officials of the agency which included assistant director, Shamim Parwez; enforcement officer, PL Dev and assistant enforcement officer, RK Meena, be allowed to record Jadeja's statement between July 5 and July 11.
Jadeja was arrested in June 2009 by the state CID for duping thousands of people of the Chhara community. Jadeja had reportedly designed a scheme to cheat people because his clinic in Sarkhej was not fetching him enough earnings. He presented himself as a priest of the Mata Sikotar temple and claimed to have divine powers. He promised people to return thrice the amount of money they entrusted him with in three days.
After the CID had registered the case and arrested Jadeja and his associates, the enforcement agency had also soon started investigating the case under PMLA. Jadeja had through this scheme swindled as much as Rs 550 crores and had invested most of the amount in real estate.
Godman invested R 33 crore in gold, land; SOG probe on
Self-proclaimed godman Ashok Jadeja who was caught in connection with a multi-crore scam had invested Rs 33 crore in land, gold and luxurious properties. Conman Jadeja was lodged in Sabarmati central jail in Ahmedabad and was recently taken into the state Special Operation Group's custody on production warrant.
SOG is now trying to probe further about his investment of the fraud money. "Jadeja had nearly 165 bighas of land, jewellery and three luxury cars. More of his investments are expected to be disclosed as he will be in police custody till Wednesday during which efforts will be made for recovering money for the victims," said an SOG officer.
He targeted the lower sections of the communities and had his network spread out in several states. However most of his victims were in Gujarat from where he had initiated the ring. The first police complaint against Jadeja was filed on May 13, 2009 by a resident, Daulat Singh Sashi, of Barmer district. He accused the Godman to have duped him of Rs 22.85 lakh. Soon more complaints cropped up from other states.
According to SOG officials, there are several cases registered against the accused in states of Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana. In Rajasthan alone, more than a dozen cases were registered as many claimed duped by Jadeja. He was alleged to have siphoned off more than Rs 1,000 crore through the scam.
"Many of the cases registered in Rajasthan come under jurisdiction of Gujarat police and the documents are sent to Ahmedabad for an FIR to be registered there, SOG will investigate the remaining six cases," said another SOG official.
The accused was arrested in May 2009 following which he has been sought by police of various states for interrogation.
Desperate for justice, man attempts suicide in court
The misfortune of losing lakhs of rupees to a conman, coupled with desperation to get the money back, prompted a 50-year old to attempt suicide during court proceedings in the city on Thursday.
And as cops added, there couldn't have been a better place for the man to draw attention to his plight, than the courtroom!
The man, identified as Balvant Rathod, is a resident of Krishna Tower near Priya cinema in Krishnanagar. He allegedly tried to commit suicide by consuming a poisonous beverage he was carrying with himself. The suicide bid took place in front of the chief judicial magistrate at the metropolitan court in Mirzapur.
Rathod was one of the hundreds of victims of conman Ashok Jadeja. He reportedly lost around Rs10 lakh to the conman, and was fighting for justice. It is the delay in the case that is being spoken of as being the reason behind Rathod's extreme step.
Sources said that at 12.45 pm, on hearing that Jadeja was not coming to the hearing, Rathod attempted to take his life. Some eyewitnesses also said that before Rathod was taken to the hospital, he uttered something about not being given justice.
"We are not sure of the reasons that prompted the man to attempt suicide. As of now, he is still unconscious, and has been admitted to VS Hospital where he is undergoing treatment. We will be able to explain the reasons for his action only after getting his version of the incident," said KN Rathva, sub-inspector with Shahpur who is investigating the case.
Jadeja and his accomplices allegedly duped hundreds of people with promises to triple their money. Police sources said that Rathod is one of the hundreds of these victims who lost their entire life's savings to the conman and his gang. Police inspector of Shahpur, KP Rathod, however, said that the matter is presently being investigated.
"The victim was unconscious in the hospital, and so we could not get his statement. Hence we are not clear about his motives. We are trying to get statement of the judicial magistrate who was present at the hearing," said Rathod.
Clearly, this was a well-oiled joint family fraud, minting millions with magic realism, super conman Jadeja style
Hardnews Bureau Ahmedabad
Old tricks still work. Ashok Jadeja, a fake doctor from Ahmedabad who duped thousands, proved it. He exploited human foibles like greed and blind faith to amass a stupendous Rs 1,800 crore.
Jadeja alias Ashok Jeram Chhara, 35, operated in the guise of a homoeopathic doctor. His modus operandi was simple: he spread the word that he was bestowed with divine powers which he could use to triple any sum of money. The lure of easy money coated in divine grace was too strong for many to ignore. Hence, they swallowed the bait.
Among his preys were the educated and well-to-do. They gave Jadeja large sums of money hoping to see it multiply. But, once the scam was unearthed, reality hit home. Jadeja had gobbled up all the money and tried to pull off a disappearing act. But, his luck ran out.
On May 31, Jadeja was arrested. Soon after, the magnitude of the fraud came to light. He had cast his net in at least 11 states including Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, UP, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Most of those duped belong to the Chhara community, a denotified tribe. Jadeja, alias Ashok Didawala, belongs to this community, but later changed his surname. He exploited the beliefs of his community by saying that he was blessed by Sikotar Mata, a diety worshipped by the Chharas. And, that the mother goddess invested him with a divine power to triple money.
Chharas were branded as criminals by the British. They are among the 150 tribes denotified post-independence. They primarily live in Gujarat. Chharanagar near Naroda in eastern Ahmedabad and another locality near Ahmedabad airport are home to the Chharas. A section of them are involved in bootlegging, stealing and petty crimes.
The Chhara community is close knit and has its own systems to resolve disputes and mete out justice. Generally, they stay away from the police and don't usually lodge complaints at police stations. That's one reason why the fraud remained undetected for six months even though several lawyers and police officers had put their money with Jadeja.
The modus operandi was meticulously planned. Jadeja and his wife, Neelu, were arrested on May 31 from Ahmedabad by the CID (crime). Only after their arrest, the web of deceit spun was unravelled. Jadeja reportedly told the police that he hatched the plan as he did not earn enough from his clinic at Sarkhej in west Ahmedabad. It is alleged that his homoeopathy degree is fake. Apparently, it was 'bought' from a college in Bihar for Rs 3.5 lakh after Jadeja failed to finish a course in an Ahmedabad college.
Investigations revealed that the brain behind the big fraud was Jadeja's aunt, Manbai Rasiklal Chhara. And, his cousin, Shaitansinh (literally, Devil-sinh), was the main operator. Both are now in police custody.
It was apparently Manbai's idea that Jadeja must claim divine powers to triple a sum of money in three days. Accordingly, Jadeja started off with small sums to win the trust of people and establish a name Initially, he took Rs 200 from the gullible and promised to return Rs 600 in three days.
RK Patel, deputy superintendent of police of CID (crime), heading the investigation, said that Manbai accompanied Jadeja to all the functions. She would tell people that her nephew was blessed with special powers by Sikotar Mata and encouraged them to deposit money with him. She would hold meetings in areas inhabited by the Chhara community and effectively spread the message about her nephew's magic powers.
Once the fraud scheme gained credence and people started queuing up to triple their money, Jadeja hiked up the amount of money to be deposited with him. Also, he increased the time for repayment from a week to a fortnight and 28 days. For quite some time, Jadeja actually returned investors thrice the amount as promised. That won him their confidence.
Soon, his fame spread far and wide within the Chhara community, beyond Ahmedabad and Gujarat, to various parts of the country. With fame, Jadeja grew secure in his belief that his fraud will never be discovered. His ambition soared as investors made a beeline to multiply their money.
With expanding business, Jadeja appointed agents in other states to rope in community members. His agents received one per cent commission against the money they brought him.
So far, 16 persons have been arrested in the Rs 1,800 crore scam. Among them are Jadeja's wife, aunt, sisters and brothers-in-law apart from some of the agents he appointed. Clearly, this was a well-oiled joint family enterprise.
Police are on the lookout for other agents who were part of Jadeja's network. "He had appointed several agents to bolster his scheme. We are trying to nab over 40 persons involved in the scam," said Patel.
Around 3,000 persons have been duped by Jadeja, according to police estimates. The conman invested around Rs 50 crore of his ill-gotten wealth in property and gold. But the police are in a fix as most of the property has not been bought in his own name. A land document has been retrieved from one of Jadeja's agents which shows a 250-bigha land along the Ahmedabad-Bavla road worth Rs 25 crore. This property is in the name of a farmer who turned out to be a proxy buyer.
Police have seized Rs six crore from Jadeja. (Rs 1.98 crore in cash, jewellery and vehicles). Investigators have stumbled upon land deals worth Rs 34 crore. "Since Jadeja bought little in his name, it's a legal hassle to pin him. To crack this case, we are trying to track a farmer, a property agent and a fake owner of several of Jadeja's properties. In several cases, the owner is usually a poor farmer whose name was used to protect the real owner," said Patel.
In these property deals, farmers who sold the land have been served notices by CID (crime) and have been asked to surrender the money that Jadeja paid them. Else, their property would be attached by court.
However, there seems little hope for investors who deposited their money in the hope of seeing it grow. As of now, they can only count their losses.
The chief magistrate court, Ahmedabad (rural), granted permission to the department of Enforcement Directorate (ED) to interrogate Ashok Jadeja for the case registered under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
The central agency has filed application seeking permission to interrogate Jadeja on Saturday. As per the application filed by ED, Jadeja is chargesheeted for the offence under section 420 and 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code, which is a scheduled offence under section 2 (y) of the PMLA.
The enforcement agency had also registered a case against Jadeja to further investigate the case. However, the agency in their application stated that for further investigation and to ascertain various facts relating to fraudulent nets, they need to examine Jadeja and record his statement under section 50 of PMLA, 2002.
Hence the team of officials of the agency which included assistant director, Shamim Parwez; enforcement officer, PL Dev and assistant enforcement officer, RK Meena, be allowed to record Jadeja's statement between July 5 and July 11.
Jadeja was arrested in June 2009 by the state CID for duping thousands of people of the Chhara community. Jadeja had reportedly designed a scheme to cheat people because his clinic in Sarkhej was not fetching him enough earnings. He presented himself as a priest of the Mata Sikotar temple and claimed to have divine powers. He promised people to return thrice the amount of money they entrusted him with in three days.
After the CID had registered the case and arrested Jadeja and his associates, the enforcement agency had also soon started investigating the case under PMLA. Jadeja had through this scheme swindled as much as Rs 550 crores and had invested most of the amount in real estate.
Godman invested R 33 crore in gold, land; SOG probe on
Self-proclaimed godman Ashok Jadeja who was caught in connection with a multi-crore scam had invested Rs 33 crore in land, gold and luxurious properties. Conman Jadeja was lodged in Sabarmati central jail in Ahmedabad and was recently taken into the state Special Operation Group's custody on production warrant.
SOG is now trying to probe further about his investment of the fraud money. "Jadeja had nearly 165 bighas of land, jewellery and three luxury cars. More of his investments are expected to be disclosed as he will be in police custody till Wednesday during which efforts will be made for recovering money for the victims," said an SOG officer.
He targeted the lower sections of the communities and had his network spread out in several states. However most of his victims were in Gujarat from where he had initiated the ring. The first police complaint against Jadeja was filed on May 13, 2009 by a resident, Daulat Singh Sashi, of Barmer district. He accused the Godman to have duped him of Rs 22.85 lakh. Soon more complaints cropped up from other states.
According to SOG officials, there are several cases registered against the accused in states of Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana. In Rajasthan alone, more than a dozen cases were registered as many claimed duped by Jadeja. He was alleged to have siphoned off more than Rs 1,000 crore through the scam.
"Many of the cases registered in Rajasthan come under jurisdiction of Gujarat police and the documents are sent to Ahmedabad for an FIR to be registered there, SOG will investigate the remaining six cases," said another SOG official.
The accused was arrested in May 2009 following which he has been sought by police of various states for interrogation.
Desperate for justice, man attempts suicide in court
The misfortune of losing lakhs of rupees to a conman, coupled with desperation to get the money back, prompted a 50-year old to attempt suicide during court proceedings in the city on Thursday.
And as cops added, there couldn't have been a better place for the man to draw attention to his plight, than the courtroom!
The man, identified as Balvant Rathod, is a resident of Krishna Tower near Priya cinema in Krishnanagar. He allegedly tried to commit suicide by consuming a poisonous beverage he was carrying with himself. The suicide bid took place in front of the chief judicial magistrate at the metropolitan court in Mirzapur.
Rathod was one of the hundreds of victims of conman Ashok Jadeja. He reportedly lost around Rs10 lakh to the conman, and was fighting for justice. It is the delay in the case that is being spoken of as being the reason behind Rathod's extreme step.
Sources said that at 12.45 pm, on hearing that Jadeja was not coming to the hearing, Rathod attempted to take his life. Some eyewitnesses also said that before Rathod was taken to the hospital, he uttered something about not being given justice.
"We are not sure of the reasons that prompted the man to attempt suicide. As of now, he is still unconscious, and has been admitted to VS Hospital where he is undergoing treatment. We will be able to explain the reasons for his action only after getting his version of the incident," said KN Rathva, sub-inspector with Shahpur who is investigating the case.
Jadeja and his accomplices allegedly duped hundreds of people with promises to triple their money. Police sources said that Rathod is one of the hundreds of these victims who lost their entire life's savings to the conman and his gang. Police inspector of Shahpur, KP Rathod, however, said that the matter is presently being investigated.
"The victim was unconscious in the hospital, and so we could not get his statement. Hence we are not clear about his motives. We are trying to get statement of the judicial magistrate who was present at the hearing," said Rathod.
Bade miyan to bade miyan, chhote miyan subhan allah
Con man’s Ashok Jadeja’s sibbling accumulated assets worth around Rs 3.33 crore
The cash, jewellery and property documents
recovered from the bungalow of Kanti Jadeja
If the volume of wealth amassed by con man Dr Ashok Jadeja is baffling, the assets accumulated by his absconding brother, Kanti Jadeja, are equally envious. Conducting a raid on the latter’s luxurious bungalow at Bopal on Monday, CID (Crime) sleuths unearthed documents of property worth around Rs 3.33 crore.
Acting on a tip-off, Deputy Superintendent of Police of CID (Crime) RK Patel conducted a raid with his team on Kanti’s bungalow at Harsh-II on the western fringes of the city. He had purchased the house for Rs 27 lakh and took its possession last December.
He had put up a fake nameplate on the entrance to his house apparently to fox his neighbours.
If the looks and the size of the bungalow baffled the cops, more shock was in store for them inside it.
The team stumbled upon fixed deposit certificates amounting to Rs 1 lakh, documents of 10 godowns own by Kanti in different parts of the city and passbooks of different bank accounts. The sibling of the conman had whopping Rs 40 lakh balance in one of his bank accounts. Rs 45 lakh more were stacked in three others.
The bank balance of Kanti to the tune of Rs 85 lakh stumped the raiding team for sure. But they were bowled over by the seized designer golden bangles, sparkling necklaces and rings.
The seized documents also proved that Kanti had invested over Rs 77 lakh in purchasing land in different places.
The Deputy Superintendent of Police of CID (Crime) said: “The documents seized from Kanti’s house prove that he had invested a huge sum of money in real estate. Besides, we have seized around Rs 85 lakh from his different bank accounts.”
Remand extended
Extending the remand of conman Dr Ashok Jadeja further, Judicial Magistrate RM Parikh on Monday sent him to seven-day police custody. NB Nagori, PI of CID (Crime), produced the accused before the court seeking 14-day remand. Public prosecutor Harivadan Chauhan argued that the remand of the trickster should be extended because the future course of investigation into the scam hinged on the report of the narco analysis test conducted on him at the Forensic Science Laboratory in Gandhinagar.
Chauhan claimed that only Jadeja could throw light on the whereabouts of his absconding brothers — Kanti Jadeja, advocate Hadmat Jadeja, Khimji Jairam — and other relatives, including his mother and nephews. After hearing the arguments, the court sent Jadeja to seven-day police custody.
Jadeja knocks SC door
Dr Ashok Jadeja, accused of swindling crores of Chhara community members, has filed a petition in Supreme Court seeking that proceedings of all the cases lodged against him in different states be conducted in Gujarat.
The swindled Chhara community members, on the other hand, have filed a writ petition in the apex court demanding a CBI inquiry into the scam.
Acting on a tip-off, Deputy Superintendent of Police of CID (Crime) RK Patel conducted a raid with his team on Kanti’s bungalow at Harsh-II on the western fringes of the city. He had purchased the house for Rs 27 lakh and took its possession last December.
He had put up a fake nameplate on the entrance to his house apparently to fox his neighbours.
If the looks and the size of the bungalow baffled the cops, more shock was in store for them inside it.
 |
| Kanti Jadeja’s election card confiscated by cops |
The bank balance of Kanti to the tune of Rs 85 lakh stumped the raiding team for sure. But they were bowled over by the seized designer golden bangles, sparkling necklaces and rings.
The seized documents also proved that Kanti had invested over Rs 77 lakh in purchasing land in different places.
The Deputy Superintendent of Police of CID (Crime) said: “The documents seized from Kanti’s house prove that he had invested a huge sum of money in real estate. Besides, we have seized around Rs 85 lakh from his different bank accounts.”
Remand extended
Extending the remand of conman Dr Ashok Jadeja further, Judicial Magistrate RM Parikh on Monday sent him to seven-day police custody. NB Nagori, PI of CID (Crime), produced the accused before the court seeking 14-day remand. Public prosecutor Harivadan Chauhan argued that the remand of the trickster should be extended because the future course of investigation into the scam hinged on the report of the narco analysis test conducted on him at the Forensic Science Laboratory in Gandhinagar.
 |
| The bungalow of Kanti Jadeja, the sibling of con man Ashok Jadeja |
Jadeja knocks SC door
Dr Ashok Jadeja, accused of swindling crores of Chhara community members, has filed a petition in Supreme Court seeking that proceedings of all the cases lodged against him in different states be conducted in Gujarat.
The swindled Chhara community members, on the other hand, have filed a writ petition in the apex court demanding a CBI inquiry into the scam.
Diabolic Divine Dupe
Hardnews Bureau Ahmedabad
Old tricks still work. Ashok Jadeja, a fake doctor from Ahmedabad who duped thousands, proved it. He exploited human foibles like greed and blind faith to amass a stupendous Rs 1,800 crore.
Jadeja alias Ashok Jeram Chhara, 35, operated in the guise of a homoeopathic doctor. His modus operandi was simple: he spread the word that he was bestowed with divine powers which he could use to triple any sum of money. The lure of easy money coated in divine grace was too strong for many to ignore. Hence, they swallowed the bait.
Among his preys were the educated and well-to-do. They gave Jadeja large sums of money hoping to see it multiply. But, once the scam was unearthed, reality hit home. Jadeja had gobbled up all the money and tried to pull off a disappearing act. But, his luck ran out.
On May 31, Jadeja was arrested. Soon after, the magnitude of the fraud came to light. He had cast his net in at least 11 states including Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, UP, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Most of those duped belong to the Chhara community, a denotified tribe. Jadeja, alias Ashok Didawala, belongs to this community, but later changed his surname. He exploited the beliefs of his community by saying that he was blessed by Sikotar Mata, a diety worshipped by the Chharas. And, that the mother goddess invested him with a divine power to triple money.
Chharas were branded as criminals by the British. They are among the 150 tribes denotified post-independence. They primarily live in Gujarat. Chharanagar near Naroda in eastern Ahmedabad and another locality near Ahmedabad airport are home to the Chharas. A section of them are involved in bootlegging, stealing and petty crimes.
The Chhara community is close knit and has its own systems to resolve disputes and mete out justice. Generally, they stay away from the police and don't usually lodge complaints at police stations. That's one reason why the fraud remained undetected for six months even though several lawyers and police officers had put their money with Jadeja.
The modus operandi was meticulously planned. Jadeja and his wife, Neelu, were arrested on May 31 from Ahmedabad by the CID (crime). Only after their arrest, the web of deceit spun was unravelled. Jadeja reportedly told the police that he hatched the plan as he did not earn enough from his clinic at Sarkhej in west Ahmedabad. It is alleged that his homoeopathy degree is fake. Apparently, it was 'bought' from a college in Bihar for Rs 3.5 lakh after Jadeja failed to finish a course in an Ahmedabad college.
Investigations revealed that the brain behind the big fraud was Jadeja's aunt, Manbai Rasiklal Chhara. And, his cousin, Shaitansinh (literally, Devil-sinh), was the main operator. Both are now in police custody.
It was apparently Manbai's idea that Jadeja must claim divine powers to triple a sum of money in three days. Accordingly, Jadeja started off with small sums to win the trust of people and establish a name Initially, he took Rs 200 from the gullible and promised to return Rs 600 in three days.
RK Patel, deputy superintendent of police of CID (crime), heading the investigation, said that Manbai accompanied Jadeja to all the functions. She would tell people that her nephew was blessed with special powers by Sikotar Mata and encouraged them to deposit money with him. She would hold meetings in areas inhabited by the Chhara community and effectively spread the message about her nephew's magic powers.
Once the fraud scheme gained credence and people started queuing up to triple their money, Jadeja hiked up the amount of money to be deposited with him. Also, he increased the time for repayment from a week to a fortnight and 28 days. For quite some time, Jadeja actually returned investors thrice the amount as promised. That won him their confidence.
Soon, his fame spread far and wide within the Chhara community, beyond Ahmedabad and Gujarat, to various parts of the country. With fame, Jadeja grew secure in his belief that his fraud will never be discovered. His ambition soared as investors made a beeline to multiply their money.
With expanding business, Jadeja appointed agents in other states to rope in community members. His agents received one per cent commission against the money they brought him.
So far, 16 persons have been arrested in the Rs 1,800 crore scam. Among them are Jadeja's wife, aunt, sisters and brothers-in-law apart from some of the agents he appointed. Clearly, this was a well-oiled joint family enterprise.
Police are on the lookout for other agents who were part of Jadeja's network. "He had appointed several agents to bolster his scheme. We are trying to nab over 40 persons involved in the scam," said Patel.
Around 3,000 persons have been duped by Jadeja, according to police estimates. The conman invested around Rs 50 crore of his ill-gotten wealth in property and gold. But the police are in a fix as most of the property has not been bought in his own name. A land document has been retrieved from one of Jadeja's agents which shows a 250-bigha land along the Ahmedabad-Bavla road worth Rs 25 crore. This property is in the name of a farmer who turned out to be a proxy buyer.
Police have seized Rs six crore from Jadeja. (Rs 1.98 crore in cash, jewellery and vehicles). Investigators have stumbled upon land deals worth Rs 34 crore. "Since Jadeja bought little in his name, it's a legal hassle to pin him. To crack this case, we are trying to track a farmer, a property agent and a fake owner of several of Jadeja's properties. In several cases, the owner is usually a poor farmer whose name was used to protect the real owner," said Patel.
In these property deals, farmers who sold the land have been served notices by CID (crime) and have been asked to surrender the money that Jadeja paid them. Else, their property would be attached by court.
However, there seems little hope for investors who deposited their money in the hope of seeing it grow. As of now, they can only count their losses.
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